Our butterfly pics and talk are scattered throughout many topics. So I thought I'd start a new thread for just them. Inspiration comes from excitement over finally finding the Pipevine Swallowtail in the garden this week.

He/she futters so fast, we can see thru the wing.

This new arrival is due to having grown several of this plant from seed - the only one they lay their eggs on.

Thanks again Dave, for suppling that first plant that made the seeds for more.

Is it not a wonderful Picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!It's like the old movie "If you plant it, They will come!!" Congrats on the success of the plants (seeds) and the picture!!

Lovely picture Maggie. Do they feed on the pipevine at all? The flower looks a little like the pitcher plant that traps and eats insects.

Nope, they just lay eggs on it and feed from other plants that have nectar rich flowers such as the lantana in pic.

You are right about their flowers being insect trappers. Said to lure in flies, although. I haven’t had the privilege of witnessing it here yet. Another carrion in the garden is Dracunculus vulgaris – big enough to display its yucky loot and stinky enough to lure plenty.

The pipevine swallowtail is toxic to birds, but the first bite puts them off of consuming enough to be fatal. Hence, these flutters often have nicks out of their swallowtails.

Interesting side bit - a survival tactic of *tiger striped* swallowtails is that some of the females emerge black without stripes and have a cast of iridescent blue on the lower wings. It is said to be an evolutionary ploy to mimic the poisonous pipevines.

The hummers have moved on to warmer parts for the year, but the Monarchs are still passing through.